Town Hall Meetings

[Keith P]

Originally Posted by jaesun

Do you think this is all pre organized and that no one is acting on their own willpower and thier own personal concerns about the future of thier own health and the care there of?

To a certain extent.

Could it be that no one trusts the government and that has been hightened with the Bush and Obama admins stripping them of more and more rights at a maddening pace?

Weren't too many town hall meetings when sons and daughters were being shipped home in bodybags.

Do you think this is just a bunch of racists and frindge activists simply trying to find an outlet to "stick it" to the black man running the country?

I don't think its that simple but I definitely think its anger against something much more than health care reform.

Do you think that all these people are just sheep following whatever they hear on the radio or see on TV?

yes. baaahhhh

I think the American public involved in speaking against the HC bill were already pissed off. The talk radio hosts and mouthpieces you speak of are just riding the trend and trying to further agitate the situation.

Riding the trend, extortion. Same thing.

Most of these people have never been politically motivated to do chit before this rapid reform attempt.

yes, rather pathetic isn't it.

They are upset that the bill is being rushed at a maddening rate to the point the Americna public is afraid they are being swindled somehow.

Because the health care system has never done that to the American public before.

If there is nothing to hide why are the politicians pushing for this version of HC reform trying to rush-rush-rush this through so fast? I mean look at all the BS rush-rush-rushed through with the stimulus bill (like californian field shrews living behind Pelosi's house) that have nothing to do with stimulating the economy at all.

I could care less about Pelosi. She's displayed that she's lacking in independent thought some time ago.

Now the great community organizer is fighting against these communities organizing because now they aren't on his side. Its only a good thing when it works for him.

Yeh because the right is so disenfranchised.

[jaesun]

Well, looks like race is involved afterall...

Black Conservative Kenneth Gladney Attacked, Called Racial Slur at St Louis

Close

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

This BS is getting out of hand. Its the few jackasses and bad apples on both sides of the debate that are standing in the way of true democracy and what is best for all of us.

And the media is playing this thing like a fiddle. Everytime some retard acts a-fool the media plays that chit over and over again lossing the message coming from both sides of this debate. And its getting worse. Its taking logical thinking average Americans and portraying them as extremists. All sides are guilty of this and its not getting us anywhere. Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat... all guilty. I'm starting to be more pissed about how this is shown on the media outlets more than the actual damn debate over HC reform.

[jaesun]

Originally Posted by Keith P

To a certain extent.

OK, I can agree there are special interests groups on both sides escalating the rabble-rabble at these town halls. But it is hurting their cause more than anything. And IMO their selfishness is hurting the majority of the honestly concerned idividual/non-activist Americans caught in the middle.

Originally Posted by Keith P

Weren't too many town hall meetings when sons and daughters were being shipped home in bodybags.

First of all... what the hell does that have to do with this conversation? Do you just make shit up to try to push buttons?

And I'm sure the brave fallen men and women you speak of would be pissed you choose to see them as victims and dismiss their efforts as if they didn't know exactly what they were doing and what they were doing it for.

You act as if there weren't WIDE SPREAD protests against the war. Google "Code Pink"

Originally Posted by Keith P

I don't think its that simple but I definitely think its anger against something much more than health care reform.

Its easy to dismiss anyone who disagrees with Obama as a racist, right? Why try to accept that there are people who just simply disagree with him when you can just call them racists and brush them off.

Originally Posted by Keith P

yes. baaahhhh

Like all of the left leaning media outlets...MSNBC, MoveOn.org, HuffingtonPost, MediaMatters, CBS, BBC, NPR, Washington Post, The New York Times, 90% of Hollywood, a majority of major university professors, etc, etc, etc......

Originally Posted by Keith P

Riding the trend, extortion. Same thing.

They just keep adding fuel to the fire making it worse for people who just want an honest shake.

Originally Posted by Keith P

yes, rather pathetic isn't it.

You mean people who consider family time and working jobs to provide for those families and are too busy with life as a normal person to drive around going to protests are pathetic? Not everyone is an activist looking for a fight. And not everyone has time between work, the family dinner, taking Sally to softball practice, and coaching Timmy's soccer team to spend time with much else.

Originally Posted by Keith P

Because the health care system has never done that to the American public before.

link --> August 10th Polling Data

It seems (by this poll anyway) more people fear Government controlling healthcare than the insurance companies.

I say set up a system where the gov can step in and fill the gaping holes of the insurance companies. Cancer, etc. but leave the simple everyday shit to the insurance companies. And create legislation to deter fraudulent lawsuits that drive up the costs for all of us. Thats just the start of what I'd like to see happen, but totally turning the healthcare system on its head isn't going to help, IMO.

Originally Posted by Keith P

I could care less about Pelosi. She's displayed that she's lacking in independent thought some time ago.

We're together on that one. But she's not the only politician who is that way. I'm finding more and more that I hate most if not all of them.

Originally Posted by Keith P

Yeh because the right is so disenfranchised.

The same could be said about the left. I don't want to see everything as doom and gloom but it seems we're fucked by both of them on a daily basis.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Keith P

You really think its the American public thats genuinely concerned about this and not just finding something to rally against?

I think it'd take a lot more than some ranting moron on the TV or Radio to get my ass at such a place.

Would you go to one of these meetings if you weren't genuinely concerned?

Originally Posted by Keith P

Yeh because the right is so disenfranchised.

You are aware of the 77 seat advantage in the House and filibuster proof Senate? That's a party in the wilderness Keith. They have control of nothing and influence on little. It isn't disenfranchisement... but it's not far off.


here's another article on the meetings... they're heating up...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32381149...new_york_times

now, I generally take the George F Will approach to populism... he said in response to the question: Isn't that populism at it's finest... GFW: Populism at it's finest is an oxymoron.

but... the turn out and passions exhibited at these meeting are not to be denied... politicians are cowards and need votes for reelection. Citizen organized turnout suggests very deep hostility to the behavior of Congress. I'df hate to stand for election next Nov if I was a Dem.

[matt]

In most instances that i have seen coverage these crazy people arent mad about healthcare specifics. They are people who already feel wronged by the administration and feel that they are losing their country. Its total bullshit. Death panels, lol

[Roos]

Originally Posted by matt

In most instances that i have seen coverage these crazy people arent mad about healthcare specifics. They are people who already feel wronged by the administration and feel that they are losing their country. Its total bullshit. Death panels, lol

Exactly.

[molecule]

i've found that most people who are either against the healthcare bill, for it, protesting, not protesting, mocking the protesters or praising them, have no fucking clue what the bill is.

and as where "death panels" may be a hilarious stretch, the government deciding who gets life saving procedures and who does not in the near future is a possible reality.

[SeedfulMusic]

Originally Posted by jaesun

Well, looks like race is involved afterall...

Black Conservative Kenneth Gladney Attacked, Called Racial Slur at St Louis

Close

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

This BS is getting out of hand. Its the few jackasses and bad apples on both sides of the debate that are standing in the way of true democracy and what is best for all of us.

And the media is playing this thing like a fiddle. Everytime some retard acts a-fool the media plays that chit over and over again lossing the message coming from both sides of this debate. And its getting worse. Its taking logical thinking average Americans and portraying them as extremists. All sides are guilty of this and its not getting us anywhere. Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat... all guilty. I'm starting to be more pissed about how this is shown on the media outlets more than the actual damn debate over HC reform.

Finally. Someone realizing that ALL SIDES of politics are EXACTLY the same. The problem isnt Democrat, or Republican, or God damn socialisim. Its the whole fucking government, and the idiots that support it. The only thing 'average' about the "average american", is their 'average' thinking abilities. If its over their head, or to much for them to accept, its easier to be dumb, blind, stupid, and just assume things will be handled for them. I'm very pleased to see these town hall meetings going the way they are. I'm glad to see that not everyone has been brainwashed into sheep by the media and government. I'm happy to know im not the only one that feels this way.

[matt]

So brad, you would rather a for profit organization just keep making the life or death decision for the patient?

At some point the decision needs to be made. When you are talking about getting an extra month of "life" for 250-500K there are a lot of factors. Someone is going to have to make a decision to move fwd and someone is going to have to pay for it in the end.

Flame on, but thats the reality.

I would rather die any day than cost my family their life's work.

Its not like you are going to go in for a bump and left to die by the dark overlords. We are talking end stage cancer, etc.

Rabble rabble!

[molecule]

Originally Posted by matt

So brad, you would rather a for profit organization just keep making the life or death decision for the patient?

At some point the decision needs to be made. When you are talking about getting an extra month of "life" for 250-500K there are a lot of factors. Someone is going to have to make a decision to move fwd and someone is going to have to pay for it in the end.

Flame on, but thats the reality.

I would rather die any day than cost my family their life's work.

Its not like you are going to go in for a bump and left to die by the dark overlords. We are talking end stage cancer, etc.

Rabble rabble!

yes, i'd rather anyone other than politicians in dc make those decisions. giving that power to the government is fucking insane, IMHO.

also, today you may be talking about extending life for one month for 500K, tomorrow you may have politicians deciding we have too many baby boomers to pay for, too many females (China), etc.

[johnny861]

What I find amsuing are the PR/ marketing companies that are backing these "angry protestors" and some of the backgrounds of a few of these "angry protestors", one lady was found to be a regional chair for the RNC, another guy was an insurance lobbyist, even had the audacity to show up wearing a Blue Cross Blue Shield polo shirt.

[johnny861]

Originally Posted by molecule

i've found that most people who are either against the healthcare bill, for it, protesting, not protesting, mocking the protesters or praising them, have no fucking clue what the bill is.

qft.

[molecule]

there is a lot at stake for both sides. government take over of healthcare in the US will change the game Internationally and will have a huge impact in our political structure and government model.

right now the largest employer in the world is the UK's health system. Bring that to the US and think about the scale. Anyone working for the government is most likely to vote for the party of government promising them what they want. This is a long term power grab. It's been done time and time again in history.

[BigBallinColin]

you are totally correct, if people put their oppisition into a calm but passionate debate with the real concerns and issues I would hope would be listened to. I can understand that they are angry but being mad isn't going to make you reasonable.

[matt]

Killing baby boomers and females?

Agree to disagree.

I do not trust insurance companies like yourself.